Re: Soluble CO2 -- how much Excel is Excessive

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Giancarlo Podio asked:

> Is it possible to measure soluble CO2 levels? I'm trying
> Flourish Excel for
> the first time and not sure how to work out the best dose
> for my tank. Also,
> unlike gas CO2 that is lost via gas exchange, will
> soluble CO2 remain in the
> tank until the plants have consumed it or lost via water
> changes?

We know a couple of things.  If you use a lot, the water
will smell distinctly like Excel.

If you use too much, your water will begin to turn cloudy,
milky.

BTW, Excel is not dissolved CO2 but carbon compounds that
some plants can make use of as a source of carbon.

Ime, you won't see strikingly different effects from using
a little or a lot or a whole lot, short of killling of
bacteria or developing the cloud.  The effects on plants
are not as noticeable as injecting CO2.

So you can stick to SeaChem's recommended dosing or you can
exceed that, maybe double, without problems -- at least as
long as you're doing regular water changes.

Hope that helps,
Scott H.


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